Choose your favourite fists of fate

Whether you're new to Tekken or a veteran to Namco's classic fighting series, there's a nicely presented introduction to ease you into the main storyline from the very first title right through to the present day, bringing you bang up to date. From there, you're shown the reasons why all of the fighters (from a choice of over 40) have entered the new King of Iron Fist Tournament.

Many old favourites make their return in Tekken 6, albeit older and more battle scarred from their previous encounters. While some mainstays such as Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima provide the main thrust of Tekken 6's story, the likes of Nina Williams, Marshall Law, Yoshimitsu, King and others come back to prove their worth and get their turn to shine with glossy and fully animated opening and ending cutscenes, which you can watch in the Gallery once you've unlocked them.

Some newcomers have entered the fray as well in the shape of the mysterious Alisa Bosconovitch, former fighting legend Bob, military man Lars Alexandersson, the youthful Leo Kliesen, vengeful bullfighter Miguel Caballero Rojo and village tomb guardian Zafina, who watches over the frightening supernatural entity Azazel.

Get ready for the next battle

Tekken 6 throws you into a large ring of battle options which are sure to keep you scrapping away for a long while. Arcade Battle is for those who want to get straight into the fight with one-on-one confrontations being the order of the day - pick your champion and bash your way to the finish. Other game modes include Survival (defeat as many opponents as possible with one health meter), Time Attack, Team Battle, Ghost Battle and Vs Battle if you want to tussle with another player offline.

For anyone who wants a bit more narrative to go with their fisticuffs, Scenario Campaign is ideal. Taking the main story of the game, you roam around a more open environment battling multiple thugs and aggressors to proceed. Once you beat all the foes in that area, you can move on to the next. Sometimes you'll have a partner to fight with, while pick-ups and weapons, such as a Gatling gun and flamethrower, litter the environment to help you out.

Regardless of which mode you choose the timeless gameplay of Tekken remains. The massive number of moves to complement the wealth of characters means there's always something to master, and the quick and responsive fighting makes it smooth, fun and engaging.

The use of destructible environments keeps the bouts intense as you tactically work your way around the arena trying to find an opening in your opponent's defence and bombard them with a combination to put them out for the count. There's also the Rage system which allows you to inflict more damage when your vitality is low, and the literally stunning Bound attack.

Fighting around the world

If you want to fight with others outside of your living room, Tekken 6 obliges with some comprehensive customisation and online content. Ranked Match puts you into battles which affect your overall world ranking, while Player Match leaves out ranking and lets you fight for fun and bragging rights.

The set-up is quick and easy, throwing you straight into a battle once you've chosen your mode and character. With the added element of unpredictability brought by friends and other Tekken fans, taking the fight online is addictive and enjoyable. And with the large number of characters to choose from, there's a wide variety of fighting styles to go up against and study.

Outside of the confrontations, you can check out the worldwide leaderboard and see who's among the best Tekken 6 players out there across its various modes. You can also download or upload ghost data to simulate fights against others (or let them fight against a simulated version of you based on your style). This is invaluable in letting you learn from your defeats and devise new tactics from your successes.

There's never been a better way to prove your skills in Tekken than going online, brawling it out and seeing your name high on the leaderboard as a result. It's all there for the taking - can you rise to the Iron Fist challenge?